Book-leaf holder



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

c. A. MONSON. BOOK LEAF HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.16, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOOK-LEAF HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed October 16, 1905. Serial No. 282,900-

To all whom, it Vita/y concern:

Be it known that I, CARL A. MoNsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Leaf Holders, of which the following is a full,-

- holding devices, whichmay be of any declear, and exact specification.

' This invention relates to order-books such as are ordinarily employed for recording sales instores or for taking orders to be delivered and it has for one of its objects the combination with a book of this character of a device for retaining any number of filledout order sheets or blanks without requiring the latter to be separated from the pad constituting the book proper.

' My invention has, furthermore, for its object the improved construction of the blankretaining device, which permits the blanks to be engaged thereby without any liability of wrinkling or doubling the sheets when the book is being closed. 'A further object of my invention will be found in the organization of the blank-retaining member in connection with a peculiar hanger or support therefor which adapts itself to any variation in the thickness of the pile .of blanks to be held.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similarcharaeters denote similar parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an order-book embodying my invention, the cover being open. Fig; 2 is a cross-section of the book closed and taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the cover being illustrated in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the so-called base-plate being shown closed over the top thereof. 3 is a similar view representing the condition of the retainer when only a small quantity of blanks are placed between the cover and the retainer, and Fig. 4 illustrates the retainer in engagement with a comparatively large quantity of blanks.

Practice has demonstrated the fact that in books of this character it is not only desirable, but rather essential, to provide means for keeping the several order-blanks as they are filled out by the clerk out of the way, so that when the book is opened a fresh blank will be at hand without rendering it necessary to turn the filled leaves over one by one until the unfilled blank next in order is finally discovered. Many attempts have been made to solve this problem in a satisfactory manner, but they have proven futile on account Fig.

of the tendency of the paper to buckle and to tear unless the blanks are bodily removed from the ad, in which case they would of course be l dose leaves, which must be guarded against being lost. In my improved orderbook these objections are entirely overcome, first, by leaving the blanks on their original siredconstruction, and, secondly, by providing a retainer which will permit theclerk to slip the loose end of the blank under the same without even touching the retainer itselfa feature which saves time and annoyance, especially when itis considered that only one hand of the clerk is available for manipulating the blank, while the other holds the book.

In Figs. 1 and2 I have shown approximately one-half of the total number of blanks held between the retainer and the book-cover with which it cooperates, the blanks B being attached with their edges in the base-plate 10 inany convenient manner, and it should be understood at this time that the blanks may be either loose leaves or put up in the form ,of pads. Pivoted or hinged at 11 to the end flange 12 of the base-plate 10 is the bookcover 13, comprising a flange 14, on which my improved leaf-retaining device is preferably mounted.

Byreferring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the leaf-retainer roper consists, substantially, of a central y-disposed resilient-blade 15, turned back upon itself at its attaching end to engage between the upper and lower portions thereof, a short tongue 16 formed in the present instance by a loop in a bladeholder 17, mounted for vertically yielding movement relative to the cover 13, and preferably made of a spring-wire rigidly secured to the blade 15, above mentioned. The holder 17 extends laterally of the cover and substantially at right angles to the retainerblade and has its ends bent upward, as shown at 18 19, to engage the cover-flange 14, the end 18 being definitely positioned thereon by virtue of its entering a loop 20, attached to or made integral with the cover-flange 14, while the other end 19 is mounted for sliding movement in an eye 21, also attached to said flange. Hence it will be understood that the holder-tongue 16 may move vertically to adapt itself to the variations in leaf-numbers disposed above and below said tongue, as indicated in the sectional views, Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive. H

IIO

In Fig. 3 only a few blanks B are held by the retainer against the cover 13, as is indicated by dot-and-dash line 25, so that when the book is closed the main body B of the blanks may come to rest against the upper face of the tongue 16, which is sufliciently thin not to leave any depression-mark on the blanks.

InFig. 2 the number of blanks beneath the tongue 16 has been increased to a thickness indicated by B while the number in the main body of blanks has been corres 0ndingly lessened, as indicated by 13*. onsequently the tongue 16 is in a somewhathi her position than that of Fig. 2, and the holder-wire is sprung into a sli ht arch.

In Fig. 4 the number of b anks beneath the tongue 16 is shown still more increased,

thus forcing the tongue 16 still higher and springin the holder-wire into the form of a high are the several conditions described being prevalent when the book is closed to brin the two blank bodies together.

Wien the book is open, as shown in Fig. 1, the blade 15 serves to keep the leaves in place against the cover, and the result is that the wire holder 17 is subjected to a torsional strain proportionate with the resiliency of the blade 15, this torsional action being resisted by the bent ends 18 and-'19, above.

mentioned, and normally tending to force the free end of the blade 15 toward the cover.

Practice has fully shown that the proper oint of engagement between the retainingblade 15 and the blanks is controlled by the quality of the paperviz., the stiffer the paper is the shorter the retaining-blade can be made, and vice versa.

While I have shown and described a retainer composed of two members which are rigidly secured to each other, it will of course be understood that, if desired, a single or unitary device may be substituted therefor, provided that the essential qualifications of my improvement are not lost sight of, these qualifications comprising a capability of self-adjustment bodily to conform to the numerical variations of the blanks when the book is closed, as well as a pressure exerted by the retaining-blade upon the blanks when the book is open.

Having described my invention, I ,claim 1. The combination, with a book-cover having a flange; of a blank-retainer comprisin a blade and a holder therefor mounted on sald flange for vertically yielding movement relative to the cover.

2. The combination, with a book-cover having a flange; of a blank-retainer comprising a blade, a holder therefor mounted on sald flange and capable of a resilient movement relative to the cover, and means for rigidly securing said blade and holder together.

3. The combination with a book-cover; of a blank-retainer comprising a centrally-disposed blade, a torsionally-resilient holder rigidly secured thereto, and means carried by said cover and for resisting the torsional strain on the blade-holder.

4. The combination, with a book-cover having a flange; of a blank-retainer comprising a blade, 'a resilient holder secured to said blade, and means for holding said holder on said flange.

5. The combination, with a book-cover having a flange; of a blank-retainer comprising a blade bodily movable relatively to said cover, and a holder held on said flangeand secured to said blade and for torsionally vforcing the free end of the blade toward the cover.

6. The combination, with a book-cover having a flange; of a blank-retainer comprising a resilient blade and a holder therefor and mounted on said flange for vertical movement relative to said cover.

CARL A. MONSQN. 

